5 top education stories

1. DfE: 2.8% teacher pay rise “would be appropriate” for 2025-26

Schools told they will need to find “efficiencies” to “supplement” extra cash allocated at the budget, writes Schools Week.

The government said the proposed 2.8% rise would mean pay had risen by 21% in four years. However, Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the National Education Union, said the “proposed unfunded 2.8% pay increase” fell “well short of the urgent action needed.”

Furthermore, Pepe Di’Iasio, general secretary of the ASCL leaders’ union, called it an “extremely disappointing submission from the secretary of state to the pay review body.

He added, “Given that per-pupil funding will increase on average by less than 1 per cent next year, and the government’s proposal is for an unfunded 2.8 per cent pay award, it is obvious that this is, in fact, an announcement of further school cuts.”

Source: DfE: 2.8% teacher pay rise ‘would be appropriate’ for 2025-26 (schoolsweek.co.uk)

2. ChatGPT in lesson preparation – 31% time saving

Teachers using AI experienced significantly lower lesson and resource preparation time than a comparison group, writes EEF.

Quality did not appear to be affected based on an expert panel reviewing the quality of lesson resources without knowing which had been produced using ChatGPT.

The ChatGPT guide is available online, and the EEF will work alongside the evaluator, NFER, to produce a simple guide to support teachers in using these results. The EEF may fund further trials in this promising area.

Source: ChatGPT in lesson preparation – Teacher Choices trial (EEF)

Our recent guide on balancing school staff workload highlights more strategies school and trust leaders can employ to save time for staff and reduce the risk of resignation. 

3. Ofsted to review the use of AI in schools

DfE commissions watchdog to examine how schools use AI to “support teaching and learning” and manage admin, writes Shools Week.

Evidence will be collected in Spring, and Ofsted says it hopes to publish its findings next summer.

The report will also look at existing research, and consult international inspectorates and academics with knowledge of AI use in education.

Source: Ofsted to review the use of AI in schools (schoolsweek.co.uk)

Our Technology Usage and Attitudes Survey for Staff can help schools and trusts gather insights on teacher use of AI and identify additional support needs in building digital skills.

4. SEND: Deficits to reach “absurd” £8bn without reform

Institute of Fiscal Studies warns increasing specialist provision in mainstream schools will be costly and require “massive change”, writes Tes.

The report highlights that the number of pupils with an EHCP rose by 71% between 2018 and 2024, straining local authority budgets already facing annual overspends of £200-800 million. 

Furthermore, independent special school placements have surged, costing triple that of state-funded alternatives. Meanwhile, reforms to enhance mainstream SEND provision could reduce reliance on EHCPs but will be very costly in the short term.

Source: SEND: Deficits to reach ‘absurd’ £8bn without reform (Tes.com)

By launching our SEND Capabilities and Support Survey for your staff, you can help create a clearer, evidence-based picture of SEND provision across the UK.

5. Home education soars by 21% in a year

And the number “missing” education entirely has risen by 28%, writes Schools Week.

Since last autumn, there has been a slight rise in the proportion of cases where mental health was the primary reason for home education (13% to 14%) and a slight decrease in “philosophical” reasons (16% to 14%).

However, there was a slight rise in the proportion citing “lifestyle” (8% to 9%) and a decrease in those citing general school dissatisfaction (8% to 7%).

The proportion citing dissatisfaction with school over bullying and over SEND remained the same, at around 3%.

Source: Home education soars by 21% in a year (Tes.com)